Camargo Triple Shy Of Cycle, Prato's Career High Three Doubles Not Enough In 7-5 Loss to Red Wings

ST. PAUL, MN (April 24, 2024) - The St. Paul Saints and Rochester Red Wings met seven times at CHS Field before Wednesday night. The Saints won all seven times. On Wednesday night the Saints had the tying runs aboard with nobody out in the ninth with the heart of the order up, but couldn’t cash in as they fell 7-5 to the Red Wings in front of 3,497 at CHS Field.

With the Saints down two runs in the bottom of the ninth Anthony Prato led off with a double to right-center, his career high third of the game. He finished the night 3-3 with three doubles, three runs and two walks. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. followed with a walk. Jair Camargo, Matt Wallner, and Yunior Severino all had opportunities to tie or win the game, but all three struck out to end the game.

As they did on Tuesday, the Saints jumped on the Red Wings starter in the first. Prato led off with a double to right and, with one, out Camargo knocked him home with a double to right-center giving the Saints a 1-0 lead.

A walk and three hits in the second gave the Red Wings the lead. Travis Blankenhorn led off the inning with a walk. Juan Yepez singled to center and Blankenhorn advanced to third on a fielding error by Keirsey Jr. in center. Alex Call gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead with a two-run double to right-center. With one out Brady Lindsly singled home Call increasing the lead to 3-1.

The Prato/Camargo duo once again came through for the Saints in the bottom of the third. With one out, Prato doubled down the third base line and with two outs Camargo singled to right driving home Prato getting the Saints to within 3-2.

The bottom of the order helped the Red Wings extend their lead in the fourth scoring three runs. With one out Call singled to center, moved to third on a Jack Dunn single, and scored on a groundout by Lindsly as Dunn took third making it 4-2 Red Wings. Jackson Cluff made it 5-2 with an RBI double to right. That was followed by an RBI single from Darren Baker increasing the Red Wings lead to 6-2.

The number eight prospect in baseball, James Wood, led off the fifth inning for the Red Wings with a double down the left field line. With one out former Minnesota Twins farmhand, Blankenhorn, knocked him home with a single to right giving the Red Wings a 7-2 lead.

For the third time in the game Prato and Camargo teamed up for two more runs in the fifth. Prato led off the inning with a walk. Keirsey Jr. singled to right that moved Prato to third, but Keirsey Jr. was tagged out trying to take second. Camargo then followed with a two-run blast to left, his third of the season, getting the Saints to within 7-4. Camargo finished 3-5, a triple shy of the cycle, with four RBI and a run scored.

The bottom of the order came through for the Saints in the eighth as the first two men got aboard with a walk to Chris Williams and a single to left-center from Tony Kemp that sent Williams to third. Will Holland grounded into a double play that scored Williams getting the Saints to within two at 7-5.

The Saints bullpen was magnificent as they went 4.1 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking two and striking out four. Scott Blewett went 2.1 shutout innings allowing one hit while walking two and striking out two. Ryan Jensen tossed a perfect inning and fanned two while Josh Staumont pitched a perfect inning of relief.

The same two teams meet in game three of a six-game series at CHS Field t 6:37 p.m. on Thursday. The Saints send RHP Caleb Boushley (2-1, 5.14) to the mound against Red Wings LHP DJ Herz (0-0, 4.38). The game can be seen on the Saints Broadcast Network, cable access channels in and around the Twin Cities, MLB.TV, MiLB.TV, the Bally Live app, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.